Tennessee is one step closer to potentially landing one of the top safety prospects in the 2027 recruiting cycle. According to a report from 247Sports’ Tom Loy on Friday, Tennessee has landed in the Top 5 group for four-star safety Jaylen Scott.
Tennessee sits alongside Oklahoma, Georgia, Miami, and Florida State for Scott’s services.
According to 247Sports’ rankings, Scott is tabbed as the No. 113 player in the country, the No. 10 safety in the class, and the No. 4 player from the state of Alabama. He currently plays for Williamson High School in Mobile, AL.
Scott’s inclusion of Tennessee in his Top 5 comes after a seemingly productive in-person meeting with Vols new secondary/safeties coach Anthony Poindexter. Scott posted a picture of himself and Poindexter on social media at his high school just two days before revealing his five finalists. Poindexter was a huge coaching staff addition for the Vols this offseason, coming over from Penn State with Jim Knowles to serve as Tennessee’s co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach. Poindexter, a former All-ACC player from his playing days, is known to have a knack for making strong relationships with his players.
GBO🍊 @Coachpoindexter @coachjoshheupel @Vol_Football @CoachORourke @GoVols247 pic.twitter.com/uFXDp1wyWe
— Jaylen Scott 27’ (@JaylenS_4) January 26, 2026
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Despite the coaching staff changes that were made this offseason, Tennessee has been in Scott’s ear for quite some time now. Josh Heupel’s program extended him a scholarship offer in August 2024, and was only beat to the punch by Marshall, Alabama State, Alabama A&M, and UCF. Tennessee clearly saw something in Scott from an early point, and Knowles’ new staff is looking to keep that momentum going.
Scott originally committed to Florida State in Jan 2025. He then flipped his commitment to Auburn in June, but decommitted this past December. Perhaps Tennessee’s new-look defensive coaching staff can make an impact on the four-star prospect as he continues looking for his next home.
Tennessee currently has four commitments in the 2027 class, including four-star offensive tackle Princeton Uwaifo, four-star defensive lineman Kadin Fife, three-star linebacker JP Peace, and three-star cornerback Kamuari Whitfield. The Vols are in the thick of several high-profile recruitments early in the 2027 recruiting cycle.
Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for more Tennessee Football coverage moving forward.
